Clamping devices are well known in the mechanical arts, being useful for work projects such as carpentry, plumbing, electronics, auto repair, and surgery. Many such clamping devices are attached to flexible arms, as described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,510,198, 2,887,974, and 3,858,578. However, none of these clamping devices enables a user to clamp an object and make rigid the flexible arm with one motion. In contrast, each requires that the flexible arm be positioned and then held in place to clamp a workpiece while a separate mechanism is used to render the arm rigid.
Each of the prior art clamping devices has the disadvantage that a user must in separate motions: (a) clamp a workpiece; and (b) position and render rigid the arm of the clamp. These separate motions make it difficult to properly position and clamp a workpiece. In these situations, many adjustments are frequently necessary before a workpiece is properly positioned and clamped. Thus, there is a need for a clamp with an attached flexible arm wherein the arm can be made rigid in the same movement that closes the clamp.
Among those benefits and improvements that have been disclosed, other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures. The figures constitute a part of this specification and include illustrative embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof.